METLIFE INC

We continue to be impacted by the changing global financial and economic environment that has been affecting the industry.

Financial and Economic Environment

Our business and results of operations are materially affected by conditions in the global financial markets and the economy generally due to our market presence in numerous countries, our large investment portfolio and the sensitivity of our insurance liabilities and derivatives to changing market factors.

We are closely monitoring political and economic conditions that might contribute to global market volatility and impact our business operations, investment portfolio and derivatives, such as global inflation, supply chain disruptions, acts of war, banking sector volatility and employment and work policies of the federal government. We are also monitoring the imposition of tariffs, sanctions or other barriers to international trade, changes to international trade agreements, and their potential impacts on our business, results of operations and financial condition. See “— Investments — Current Environment,” as well as “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Industry Trends — Impact of Market Interest Rates — Effects of Inflation” in the 2024 Annual Report.

Governments and central banks around the world use fiscal and monetary policies to address uncertain economic conditions. In the United States (“U.S.”), the Federal Open Market Committee took various actions in 2024 to promote economic stability, including lowering interest rates during the second half of the year. While rates have remained steady in 2025, labor market conditions, inflation and financial and international developments, as well as other factors, could result in policy adjustments later this year. The European Central Bank and Bank of England have also recently lowered interest rates, but forecasts for the remainder of 2025 are uncertain due to risks to economic growth, global trade and political change. The Bank of Japan raised interest rates in January 2025, taking the policy rate to its highest level since 2008.

Impact of Market Interest Rates

Market interest rates are a key driver of our results. Increases and decreases in such rates, as well as extended periods of stagnation, may impact our business and investments in various ways. For a discussion of the potential impact of low and rising interest rates, and inflation, as well as management actions taken in response to the changing U.S. interest rate environment, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Industry Trends — Impact of Market Interest Rates” and “Risk Factors — Economic Environment and Capital Markets Risks” included in the 2024 Annual Report.

Competitive Pressures

See “Business — Competition” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Industry Trends — Competitive Pressures” in the 2024 Annual Report for information on our competitive position.

Regulatory Developments

The following discussion on regulatory developments should be read in conjunction with “Business — Regulation” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Industry Trends — Regulatory Developments” included in the 2024 Annual Report, as amended or supplemented here.

Standards of Conduct, ERISA, Fiduciary Considerations, and Other Pension and Retirement Regulation

In 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (the “DOL”) final version of the prohibited transaction exemption (“PTE”) 2020-02 went into effect, which allows investment advice fiduciaries to receive compensation without violating the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”), subject to impartial conduct standards and disclosure obligations aligned with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules. In the preamble to PTE 2020-02, the DOL also provided its interpretation of the five-part test used to determine whether a person is acting as an ERISA investment advice fiduciary. In April 2024, DOL finalized and published a regulation to change the definition of “fiduciary” for purposes of ERISA and parallel provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, when a financial professional, including an insurance producer, provides investment advice, and to amend various existing PTEs that financial professionals rely on when making recommendations. Shortly thereafter, these changes were challenged in court, and in July 2024, two federal district courts entered separate stays of the effective date of the new regulation regarding the definition of “fiduciary” and the amendments to the PTEs, pending further orders of the courts. The DOL initially appealed these stay orders but has since indicated that it no longer intends to pursue those appeals and, instead, will revisit and re-evaluate the regulation and PTE amendments. Accordingly, it is unclear when, or whether, the regulation and PTE amendments will take effect.

In March 2025, Chile enacted the pension reform bill approved by the Chilean Congress in January 2025. This reform introduces structural changes to the pension system, including mandatory bidding of 10% of pension fund administrator customer portfolios every two years beginning in 2028 and the creation of a state-owned entity to manage new pay-as-you-go-contributions. The impact of this reform on our Chilean pension business continues to be evaluated, and will depend on specific regulations that are expected to be issued during the next two years.

Management of Climate Risk and ESG

In March 2025, the SEC voted to end its defense of final rules that it had adopted in March 2024 requiring registrants to provide additional climate-related information in their registration statements and annual reports, including in their financial statements.

Derivatives Regulation and Clearing of Treasury Securities

In 2023, the SEC adopted rules to require that covered clearing agencies have policies and procedures reasonably designed to require every direct participant of the agency to submit for clearing eligible secondary market transactions in U.S. Treasury securities. Following a February 25, 2025 extension by the SEC, the rule effectively requires such participants to clear eligible cash transactions in U.S. Treasury securities beginning on December 31, 2026, and clear eligible repurchase and reverse repurchase transactions in U.S. Treasury securities beginning on June 30, 2027. As a result, certain transactions between such participants and us will be required to be cleared. The rule’s potential effect on the U.S. Treasury markets is uncertain.